Electronic device having a metal collar and discal ring supporting an electrode from a resonator



Nov. 23, 1948. A. J. FURST ETAL 2,454,313

ELECTRONIC DEVICE HAVING A METAL COLLAR AND DISCAL RING SUPPORTING ANELECTRODE FRO! A RESONATOR Filed Feb. 25, 1944 I, z I

14 l .30 J1 a 1 z; Z1 Z1 Z5 9 1 ZM- alckz-e v' L i I I I 1 1 ll BYATTORNE Patented Nov. 23, 1948 ELECTRONIC DEVICE HAVING A METAL COLLARAND DISCAL RING SUPPORT- ODE FROM A RESO- ING AN ELECTR NATOR Albert J.Furst, Newark,

Paul M. Dickerson,

and Jens J. Aakjer and East Orange,

N. .L, assignors to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, East Pittsburgh,Pa.,

a corporation of Pennsylvania Application February 25, 1944, Serial No.523,830

2 Claims.

This invention relates to electronic devices, and more particularly tothe mounting of the electrode therein which is opposed to the cathode.

Particular application of the present invention has been made in anultra high frequency device identified as a "klystron" and while theinvention may be utilized in other electronic devices, for purposes ofillustration it is here shown in connection with the reflector electrodeof a reflex klystron in the accompanying drawing.

Precision of coaxial alignment of a reflector electrode or the like inan ultra high frequency device, such as referred to above, has beenfound to be highly critical, and heretofore much time and effort in thefabrication of those devices has been devoted to securing the alignmentrequired. Common manufacturing procedure heretofore has been to bend thesupporting lead for the reflector or similar electrode back and forthwhile the said reflector and its attached mounting means are rotateduntil the reflector comes into axial alignment and rotates on the lathewithout wobbling. This not only involves time and labor, but the bendingof the lead is detrimental thereto, lessening its inherent rigidity, andthereby increases the likelihood of the reflector being jarred out ofalignment in use. The process as heretofore practiced furthermore leavesthe collector exposed after its alignment has been effected since itmust go from the lathe operator to the workman completing the assemblyby subsequent operations. In this interval, which may include a periodin storage and other handling, it is not only possible, but has provento be a fact, that reflector alignment is disturbed. Discovery of theout-of-alignment condition developing after removal from the lathecannot be readily determined until the electronic device is completedand tested. This involves a very considerable discard of assembleddevices, and repre-- sents time and material uselessly expended.

The present invention, in its most general aspect, seeks to overcome thedeficiencies of the prior art practice and product.

Also, generally viewed, the invention has for objects to provide adevice as characterized wherein the reflector or the like is perfectlyaligned and by a process which effects the alignment readily and withoutintroduction of bending strains and weakening operations on thesupporting lead to the reflector.

More specifically, objects of the invention are to secure alignment ofthe reflector before it is fixed in its housing and to secure thereflector 2 while positively positioned and held in alignment in itshousing. 7

Further objects of the invention are to provide an improved seal, andsealing procedure for the lead-in and support for the reflector.

A still further object of the invention is to reduce the number of partsand of operations from prior art practice in effecting the seal.

Another object of the invention is to accomplish the alignment andmounting of the reflector during the concurrent assembly of the completedevice and by the operator performing the assembly operation and in anyevent as one of the final steps of assembly to avoid possibility of lossof alignment after being once attained.

Other objects of the invention will appear to those skilled in the artas the description progresses, both by direct recitation therein and byimplication from the context.

Referring to the accompanying drawing in which like numerals ofreference indicate similar parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a reflex Klystronillustrative of an electronic device embodying our invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional view of the insulating crown or flare by whichthe reflector lead-in is supported and sealed in place, showing the saidcrown or flare prior to and ready for use;

Figure 3 is an elevation of the reflector-housing unit of which saidcrown constitutes one part;

Figure 4 is an elevation of .the reflector-electrode unit; and

Figure 5 is a sectional view of the said units, shown separately inFigures 3 and 4, situated in position for final unification andassembly.

In the specific embodiment of the invention illustrated in said drawing,there is shown a beam type electronic device generally defined as areflex Klystron fabricated as a body of revolution about an axis andproviding a coaxial hollow body It forming a resonant chamber l Itherein with a cathode I2 on a common axis with and adjacent thechamber, and an opposed reflector electrode I3 also on the same axis atthe other side of said chamber ll. Passageway for a coaxial electronbeam is provided through said chamber from the cathode to the reflector.

The specific showing herein of the hollow body resonator comprises acylindrical wall It to one end of which is sealed a circularlycorrugated flexible end wall It. Protruding coaxially through theflexible end wall It is a tube ii the inner opening through whichconstitutes part of the aforementioned passageway from cathode wall.

to reflector. Theend of said tube l1 within the resonator chamber isparallel and proximate .to the rigid flat end wall I. The other end ofsaid tube outside the resonator chamber has a flange l8 radiatingtherefrom spaced from and in parallelism to the general plane of thecorrugated This flange is seated in and sealed at its rim to .the innerperiphery o! a flanged ring IS. A coaxial and sealed cathode housing islikewise secured to said ring, as shown more fully in copendingapplication of J. M. Carter, Serial No. 485,852, flled May 6, 1943, andassigned to the same assignee as the present invention.

A similar flanged ring 20 is provided at the far side of the rigid endwall l5, sealed thereto. The flanges of said rings is, 20 projectradially further from the common axisthan the cylindrical wall ll of theresonator body, and are maintained in spaced and substantially parallelrelation by struts 2 I, underlying one of which is an adjusting ortuning lever 22 as more fully described and claimed in a copendingapplication of William W. Rig'rod, Serial No. 503,189, filed September21, 1943, and now U. S. Patent No. 2,439,908, granted April 20, 1948,and also assigned to the same assignee as the present invention. Theplates are drawn toward each other and against the struts by a pluralityof tension springs 23.

Appropriate grids are interposed in the passageway between the cathodeand reflector, one grid 24 being situated across the end of tube l'lnext the cathode, parallel thereto, and another grid 25 is situated atthe other or inner end of the tube, whereas a third grid 26 is shownacross the opening through rigid end wall l of the resonator, all ofsaid grids being substantially parallel to each other and coaxial to thecommon axis thereof and which is coincident with the axis of theresonator. An output loop 21 is shown at one side of the resonatorappropriately sealed in the outer member 28 of the usual form of coaxialline conductor.

Mounting of the reflector electrode l3 constituting an essential featureof the present invention is obtained by means of a crown or flare 29 ofinsulating material, preferably borosilicate glass, which has a largemouth or rim 30 of cylindrical configuration sealed to acollar 3! ofsuitable material. By preference an alloy known in the trade as Kovar"more fully described in patent to Howard Scott, No. 2,062,335 ofDecember 1, 1936, and assigned to .the same assignee as the presentinvention, is used as the material constituting said collar. Said collar'is cylindrical and coaxially mounted on the outer discal face of ring20 to which it is sealed, such mounting being performed prior tosecuring the ring upon the resonator body. Said ring 20, collar 3| andcrown are assembled as a reflector-housing unit, such unit beingillustrated in Figure 3, ready to receive the reflector.

The reflector electrode I3 is shown of cup formation with the hollow ofthe cup directed toward the cathode. From the other or what may betermed the back side of the cupped part of the reflector is a stiff andrigid lead-in wire 32 constituting also a support for the reflector,said wire being straight and of appropriate length to extend axially ofthe collar and crown and project from the outer end or center of thecrown while positioning the reflector electrode approximately at thelevel of said ring. The reflector cup and lead-in wire are preassembledas a unit before introduction into the reflector-housing unit,':saidreflector unit also preferably including a glass bead 82 at the partthereof designed to pass through the crown or flare. Said bead is of anappropriatematerial, such as glass, having a coefllcient of expansionsubstantially equal to that of the wire on which it is applied.

The crown 29 converges to a mid-part of the end thereof away from thecollar and is provided thereat with a protruding hollow neck 34 the hole38 through which is of appropriate size to freely admit the bead 33 ofthe electrode unit therein. When proper alignment and positioning of theelectrode unit is eflected with respect to the reflector-housing unit,the glass of the said neck and of said bead are fused together orotherwise unified, and the reflector thereby held rigidly in itsassembled relation to the collar and ring.

In order to obtain and maintain precise coaxial alignment of thereflector housing unit and the electrode unit until the above-mentionedunification is accomplished and alignment and support thereby renderedpermanent, a jig 36 is provided shown in Figure 5. Said jig comprises astepped plate, the larger step 31 of which is cylindrical and fitsaccurately in the cut-out or socket prepared in the ring 20 forultimately receiving the rigid wall of the resonator body. The nextsmaller step 38 of the jig is likewise cylindrical and made to flt inthe opening through said ring, and the final and smallest step 39 islikewise cylindrical and formed to accurately fit within the cup-shapeof the reflector electrode. All of said cylindrical steps of the Jig arecoaxial so that when applied to the two units those units are ofnecessity in proper and coaxial relation. It is while said units arethus held, that the sealing of the glass of the neck 34 of the crown tothe glass bead of the electrode unit is efiected. The Jig is thenremoved and the assembly seated on and sealed to the resonator body.

We claimt 1. An electronic device comprising a, cathode and an opposedelectrode axially aligned therewith; a cavity resonator having an endwall between said cathode and electrode transverse to the axis of saidcathode and electrode; means supporting and enclosing said electrodecomprising a, stem extending from the electrode in a direction away fromthe cathode, a glass dome sealed to a part of said stem distant fromsaid electrode, and a metal collar coaxially around said electrodehaving one rim directed away from the cathode and sealed to the marginof said dome and having its other rim directed toward the cathode in acommon plane with the edge of said electrode toward the cathode; and adiscal ring interposed between said resonator wall and rim of saidcollar and defining the spacing of said wall and electrode andprojecting radially outward from said collar and from said wall andproviding support both for the resonator and for the said means.

2. An electronic device comprising a cathode and an opposed electrodeaxially aligned therewith; a cavity resonator having an end wall betweensaid cathode and electrode transverse to the axis of, said cathode andelectrode; means supporting and enclosing said electrode comprising astem extending from the electrode in a direction away from the cathode,a metal collar coaxially around said electrode having one rim directedaway from the cathode and its other rim directed toward the cathode andin a plane common with the edge of said electrode toward the cathode,and a glass seal interposed between said stem and said collar; and adiscal ring interposed ALBERT J. FURST. JENS J. AAKJER.- PAUL M.DICKERSON.

REFERENCES CITED I The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Dallenbach July 25, 1939 CageFeb. 13, 1940 Haeff Apr. 8, 1941 Hansen et al Oct. 21, 1941 Harrison eta1 Jan. 21, 1947

